Career Mode too easy/short?

[Karriz]

In my opinion, unlocking the tech tree shouldn't take long as it's just supposed to introduce player to the parts gradually, so I suppose the difficulty level is fine as it is. In the future we'll get money, missions and resources which will bring much more stuff to do, and the science stuff will probably be expanded too.

[CaptRobau]

Once the economy is implemented, progressing through the tech tree (which will no doubt be expanded with more parts) will be slower because you have to individually buy each part.

[malkuth]

Once the economy is implemented, progressing through the tech tree (which will no doubt be expanded with more parts) will be slower because you have to individually buy each part.

Yes and more then likely the money system won't allow you to launch a super massive 1200 ship vessel for your first launch to get all the science stuff. Hell Mission Controller pretty much shows how difficult it can be to unlock the whole tech tree and keep your budget in the green at the same time.

And then if they ever add Reentry heat... Or actual Aerodynamics... Then the whole game now becomes a little more challenging.

To be honest when they do add Aerodynamics, I have no idea what I would do.. Nothing we fly today in the game would ever get off the ground.

[Seret]

The key is to load up your spacecraft with experiments and repeatedly transmit science back.

I agree. Probes are actually really lucrative, as a one-way trip can be easily done with small cheap launch vehicles. Once you've got PV arrays on a probe you should have no problem cranking out a few hundred science from simple Mun missions. If you want to pick up the surface samples/EVA/Crew reports you can always send a manned mini lander with no science parts later.

[Pulstar]

To be honest when they do add Aerodynamics, I have no idea what I would do.. Nothing we fly today in the game would ever get off the ground.

Well we would have to learn to make thin rockets for one and landers that fit inside payload fairings, without hinges I would need to rethink some of my wide and safe lander designs. Also technically we would still get off the ground but it's just that there would be bigger penalties to asparagus staging overkill. But it wouldn't kill it off completely, just make the lifter designs more sane and definitely less wide.

Re-entry heat would be a bigger difficulty increase, aerocapture the way it works now would require either heavy heatshields increasing mass and decreasing delta-v. Or it would possibly still be quite lethal so you would have to aerobrake at say laythe at a higher altitude, and burn retrograde after you exit the atmosphere to get into orbit around it since otherwise you risk burning up.

It would actually be cool if heatshields were ablative and had a finite amount of heat they can take, meaning you would have to consider not just for the temperature of re-entry but also the duration of it.

[Elemental]

What I suggest is not going Rambo and landing on Duna with the first flight. I restrict myself to orbital flights until I get a three man pod, then restrict myself to cislunar flights until I get the NERVA.

This.

Just because we have been playing this game for a long time and so can hogtie some basic boosters together and eat ALL THE SCIENCE in a couple flights does not reflect the reality for new players.

I remember the month it took me to get into a stable (though highly ugly) orbit.

[PlayMp1]

I agree. Probes are actually really lucrative, as a one-way trip can be easily done with small cheap launch vehicles. Once you've got PV arrays on a probe you should have no problem cranking out a few hundred science from simple Mun missions. If you want to pick up the surface samples/EVA/Crew reports you can always send a manned mini lander with no science parts later.

Indeed. I'm far from an advanced player at all (still have trouble actually landing on the Mun - not getting there, taking off from there, returning or anything, just actually landing), but my fourth mission, which finished my tech tree, was a probe to Jool. Just by spamming all the science parts and sucking all the science out of all the areas I could get to (high/low for Jool, Laythe, Vall, Tylo and Pol, landed on Pol), I had some 7000 science by the end of the mission.

[Madrias]

I must admit, I got most of my science from one-way probes beaming back science to unlock the tech tree. I hate risking Kerbals when I can smash a Stayputnik into the Mun on a failed landing. It took me a few days to unlock the tree, but once I had space plane parts, it didn't take me long. The hardest part was getting plane parts, which probably took 3/4 of my time. After that, I maxed the tree and then some with spaceplanes everywhere.

[crparris]

If you look at the overall picture, it is too early to have a poll as to whether or not science and the tech tree are too simple to fill.

Until the economy is in - and we know how much it will cost to build rockets vs KSP income design, any opinions are premature. some of us may decide it is too hard once you have bills to pay

*edited for typeos

[Wampa842]

As it is stated by the Developers, Career mode is only in its infant days. More features will be added by time, as well as some limits and coefficients refined.

Since I'm over-protective over my kerbals (especially a certain one), I always try to get them back in one piece, not only for burials, but since I'm also a noob in rocket science, this highly incapacitates my R&D.

Let us wait until R&D and Career are more developed before making such observations.

[nettcod]

It's too easy now, but only because they haven't implemented budgets yet.

[regex]

It's too easy now, but only because they haven't implemented budgets yet.

So you think a feature designed to introduce parts to the user at their own pace will be limited by budgetary concerns? I get that you have to unlock parts but money isn't going to be the big "difficulty-izer" for the tech tree that everyone says it is. The tech tree is for new players, not veterans. Why would you punish a new player for experimenting with different craft designs, large or small?

[SuperWeegee4000]

I don't think it's too easy, but it is a little short. Any new parts added later could change that.

[rosenkranz]

Wanted to qualify my 'it's ok' vote.

As a veteran player now (since .18) I can see how use (and abuse) mechanics to race through, but that is our problem as vets, not squad's as dev's.

That said, the system does need polish. Such as:

• More and varied experiment results would be good.

• Some randomization of science gains (the occasional Eureka! moment that gains bonus science)

• Difficulty settings that ease/restrict the system for newb/vets alike

I can see stuff like this being done as balancing passes over the next few updates.

Also remember, the parts cost 'c' to research as well as science and vehicles will cost 'c' to build. These things will also provide balancing factors to the science system.

[theonegalen]

I've really enjoyed it and haven't nearly run out of things to do, but I've been intentionally building small.